• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2006

Ovarian follicular atresia in mammals is finely regulated by gonadotropins and sex steroid hormones. It is well known that granulosa cell pyknosis is a common cytological feature of atretic follicles in the ovary. The present study hypothesized that granulosa cell pyknosis during follicular atresia might be related to apoptotic process and associated with caspase-3 activation. Healthy (normal) and atretic follicles were isolated from porcine ovaries based on macro-morphological criteria. Isolated follicles were either processed for histological observation or used for collection of granulosa cells by aspiration. Hoechst 33258 staining of the cells showed a significantly higher number of fragmented nuclei, a typical morphological feature of apoptotic cell, in granulosa cells from atretic follicles than those from healthy follicles. In addition, the rate of cell death was significantly higher in granulosa cells from atretic follicles than healthy follicles, as measured by flow-cytometric cell cycle analysis. In situ detection of apoptotic cells by TUNEL revealed that apoptosis was mostly restricted to granulosa cells in follicles. Theca cells were TUNEL-negative. Finally, it has been shown by caspase-3 activity assay that granulosa cells from atretic follicles retain a higher caspase-3 activity compared to healthy follicles. Taken together, it is suggested that granulosa cell degeneration during folliclar atresia occurs by caspase-3-dependent apoptotic fashion.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4 s.100
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• pp.273-284
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• 2002

During January 1998-October 1999, the impact of free-floating plants (FFP) on limnology of the wetland ecosystem was evaluated through the investigation of physicochemical characteristics of the Woopo Wetland along with in situ manipulation experiments of aquatic plants. Flooding events occurred in the wetland during the summer period (Jun.-Aug.) and water levels rose to 2-3 m due to precipitation from the catchment and inflow from the main channel of the Nakdong River. Physicochemical parameters and plankton dynamics in the wetland during the summer were greatly influenced by floods and growth of free-floating plants. Dissolved oxygen (Jun.-Sept., 4.5${\pm}$2.5 mg/1; Oct.-May, 8,1 ${\pm}$4.0 mg/1) and pH (Jun.-Sept., 6.9${\pm}$0.4; Oct.-May,7.4${\pm}$0.8) levels were significantly lower during the summer than any other seasons. Three types of enclosure experiments (100 L, treatments with floating plants, screened and opened) were conducted under the presence and absence of sediment for 15 days in the 1999 summer. The treatments with sediment had higher levels of nutrient concentrations than those of the others. Among the treatments with sediment, nutrient concentrations in the treatments with free-floating plants were higher than the others. Zooplankton communities in each treatment showed a similar variation, although the scale of zooplankton densities differed. Rotifer community dominated the zooplankton at the initial phase of the experiment, but decreased drastically along with an increase of cladoceran and copepod communities. In conclusion, low levels of dissolved oxygen and pH in the Woopo Wetland during the summer seemed to be caused by a proliferation of free-floating plants and active decomposition process at the bottom of the sediment.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.6_2
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• pp.1565-1576
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• 2023

An atmospheric correction algorithm based on the radiative transfer model is required to obtain remote-sensing reflectance (R_rs) from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager-II (GOCI-II) observed at the top-of-atmosphere. This R_rs derived from the atmospheric correction is utilized to estimate various marine environmental parameters such as chlorophyll-a concentration, total suspended materials concentration, and absorption of dissolved organic matter. Therefore, an atmospheric correction is a fundamental algorithm as it significantly impacts the reliability of all other color products. However, in clear waters, for example, atmospheric path radiance exceeds more than ten times higher than the water-leaving radiance in the blue wavelengths. This implies atmospheric correction is a highly error-sensitive process with a 1% error in estimating atmospheric radiance in the atmospheric correction process can cause more than 10% errors. Therefore, the quality assessment of R_rs after the atmospheric correction is essential for ensuring reliable ocean environment analysis using ocean color satellite data. In this study, a Quality Assurance (QA) algorithm based on in-situ R_rs data, which has been archived into a database using Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), was applied and modified to consider the different spectral characteristics of GOCI-II. This method is officially employed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s ocean color satellite data processing system. It provides quality analysis scores for R_rs ranging from 0 to 1 and classifies the water types into 23 categories. When the QA algorithm is applied to the initial phase of GOCI-II data with less calibration, it shows the highest frequency at a relatively low score of 0.625. However, when the algorithm is applied to the improved GOCI-II atmospheric correction results with updated calibrations, it shows the highest frequency at a higher score of 0.875 compared to the previous results. The water types analysis using the QA algorithm indicated that parts of the East Sea, South Sea, and the Northwest Pacific Ocean are primarily characterized as relatively clear case-I waters, while the coastal areas of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are mainly classified as highly turbid case-II waters. We expect that the QA algorithm will support GOCI-II users in terms of not only statistically identifying R_rs resulted with significant errors but also more reliable calibration with quality assured data. The algorithm will be included in the level-2 flag data provided with GOCI-II atmospheric correction.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.297-306
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• 2004

Current artificial heart valves have several disadvantages, such as thromboembolism, limited durability, infection, and inability to grow. The solution to these problems would be to develop a tissue-engineered heart valves containing autologous cells. The aim of this study was to optimize the protocol to obtain a porcine acellular matrix and seed goat autologous endothelial cells on it, and to evaluate the biological responses of xenograft and xeno-autograft heart valves in goats. Material and Method: Fresh porcine pulmonic valves were treated with one method among 3 representative decellularization protocols (Triton-X, freeze-thawing, and NaCl-SDS). Goat venous endothelial cells were isolated and seeded onto the acellularized xenograft leaflets. Microscopic examinations were done to select the most effective method of decellularizing xenogeneic cells and seeding autologous endothelial cells. Two pulmonic valve leaflets of. 6 goats were replaced by acellularized porcine leaflets with or without seeding autologous endothelial cells while on cardiopulmonary bypass. Goats were sacrificed electively at 6 hours, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6. months after operation. Morphologic examinations were done to see the biological responses of replaced valve leaflets. Result: The microscopic examinations showed that porcine cells were almost completely removed in the leaflets treated with NaCl-SDS. The seeded endothelial cells were more evenly preserved in NaCl-SDS treatment. All 6 goats survived the operation without complications. The xeno- autografts and xenografts showed the appearance, the remodeling process, and the cellular functions of myofibroblasts, 1 day, 1 month, and 3 months after operation, respectively. They were compatible with the native pulmonary leaflet (control group) except for the increased cellularity at 6 months. The xenografts revealed the new endothelial cell lining at that time. Conclusion: Treatment with NaCl-SDS was most effective in obtaining decellularized xenografts and facilitate seeding autologous endothelial cells. The xenografts and xeno-autografts were repopulated with myofibroblasts and endothelial cells in situ serially. Both of grafts served as a matrix for a tissue engineered heart valve and developed into autologous tissue for 6 months.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.148-160
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• 2012

The main purpose of this paper is to deliver a climate analysis and evaluation method based on GIS by using airborne LiDAR data and Biotop type map and to provide spatial information of climate analysis and evaluation based on Biotop type Map. At first stage, the area, slope, slope length, surface, wind corridor function and width, and obstacle factors were analyzed to obtain cold/fresh air production and wind corridor evaluation. In addition, climate evaluation was derived from those two results in the second stage. Airborne LiDAR data are useful in wind corridor analysis during the study. Correlation analysis results show that ColdAir_GRD grade was highly correlated with Surface_GRD (-0.967461139) and WindCorridor_ GRD was highly correlated with Function_GRD (-0.883883476) and Obstacle_GRD (-0.834057656). Climate Evaluation GRID was highly correlated with WindCorridor_GRD (0.927554516) than ColdAir_GRD (0.855051646). Visual validations of climate analysis and evaluation results were performed by using aerial ortho-photo image, which shows that the climate evaluation results were well related with in-situ condition. At the end, we applied climate analysis and evaluation by using Biotop map and airborne LiDAR data in Gwangmyung-Shiheung City, candidate for the Bogeumjari Housing District. The results show that the aerial percentile of the 1st Grade is 18.5%, 2nd Grade is 18.2%, 3rd Grade is 30.7%, 4th Grade is 25.2%, and 5th Grade is 7.4%. This study process provided both the spatial analysis and evaluation of climate information and statistics on behalf of each Biotop type.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.388-395
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• 2016

This paper explores the photocatalytic sensitivity of cement mortar incorporated with recycled $TiO_2$ from waste water sludge. Basically, $TiO_2$ cluster sank down slowly to the bottom of cement mortar specimen before setting and hardening process. This leads the mismatch of $TiO_2$ concentration on the top and the bottom faces of a specimen. This poorly dispersed $TiO_2$-cement mortar naturally exhibits poor NOx removal efficiency especially on the top of cementitious structure. In architectural engineering application such as building or housing structures, one can simply filp over from the bottom so that more $TiO_2$ concentrated surface can be placed outward into the air. However, in highway pavement case, this could not be applicable due to in-situ installation of concrete pavement. Hence, the dispersion of $TiO_2$ cluster inside the cementitous material is getting important issue onto road construction application. To elaborate this issue, according to our results, silica fume, high-ranged water reducer, viscosity agent, blast furnace slag were not enhanced much of dispersion characteristics of $TiO_2$ cluster. The combination of foaming agent and accelerator of hardening with viscosity agent and small grain size of fine aggregate may help the dispersion of $TiO_2$ inside cementitious materials. Even though the enhanced dispersion were applied to the specimen, NOx removal efficiency doest not change much for the top surface of the specimen. This concurrently affected by the presence of tiny air voids and the dispersion of $TiO_2$ in that these voids could easily adsorbed NOx gas with the aid of large surface area.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.21-36
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• 2019

Dead fuel moisture content is a key variable in fire danger rating as it affects fire ignition and behavior. This study evaluates simple regression models estimating the moisture content of standardized 10-h fuel stick (10-h FMC) at three sites with different characteristics(urban and outside/inside the forest). Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was used as an independent variable, and in-situ measured 10-h FMC was used as a dependent variable and validation data. 10-h FMC spatial distribution maps were created for dates with the most frequent fire occurrence during 2013-2018. Also, 10-h FMC values of the dates were analyzed to investigate under which 10-h FMC condition forest fire is likely to occur. As the results, fitted equations could explain considerable part of the variance in 10-h FMC (62~78%). Compared to the validation data, the models performed well with R2 ranged from 0.53 to 0.68, root mean squared error (RMSE) ranged from 2.52% to 3.43%, and bias ranged from -0.41% to 1.10%. When the 10-h FMC model fitted for one site was applied to the other sites, $R^2$ was maintained as the same while RMSE and bias increased up to 5.13% and 3.68%, respectively. The major deficiency of the 10-h FMC model was that it poorly caught the difference in the drying process after rainfall between 10-h FMC and EMC. From the analysis of 10-h FMC during the dates fire occurred, more than 70% of the fires occurred under a 10-h FMC condition of less than 10.5%. Overall, the present study suggested a simple model estimating 10-h FMC with acceptable performance. Applying the 10-h FMC model to the automatic mountain weather observation system was successfully tested to produce a national-scale 10-h FMC spatial distribution map. This data will be fundamental information for forest fire research, and will support the policy maker.